Means for generating electricity from car-wheel axles.



No. 665,540. Patented Ian. ,8, IBM. M. MUSKOWITZ. MEANS FOR GENERATING ELECTRICITY FROM CAR WHEEL AXLES.

Application filed Mar. 13, 1900, (\No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet].

WITNESSES. INVENTOR.

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No. 665.540. Patented Jan. 8, 19m. m. mosxownz. MEANS FOR GENERATING ELECTRICITY FROM CAR WHEEL AXLES.

I Application filed Mar- 13, 1900.. (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

.INVENTOR: WGRRIS MGSKQWTZ WITNESSES:

cf/I/W ATTORNEY MORRIS MOSKOWITZ,

MEANS FOR GENERATING ELECTR PATENT OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

lClTY FROM CAR-WHEEL AXLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,540, dated January 8, 1901.

Application filed March 13, 1900. Serial No. 8.434. (No model) To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORRIS Mosxowrrz, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Generating Electricity from Oar-Wheel Axles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates in general to means for generating electricity from a dynamo driven from a car-wheel axle of one of the trucks underneath the body of the car.

The invention has for its primary object to provide a novel arrangement of dynamo movably connected with the car-body, whether underneath or upon the fioor of the car, such movement of the dynamo being controlled by and corresponding to the swinging or pivotal movements of the car-Wheel truck, which, as is well known, is pivotally secured in place, so as to turn on a king-bolt or center-pin, whereby the respective pulley-wheels of the dynamo and the one secured upon the carwheel axle will at all times remain in their proper alinement and the connecting-belt will not. run off the pulleys when going around curves.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel connecting mechanism between the dynamo and the car-wheel truck which will cause a circular motion of the dynamo with the center of motion in the central axis of the king-boltof the truck and at the same time permit of the automatic vertical adj ustment of the various parts to compensate for the varying positions of the car-wheel axle and car-body, said changes of position being due tothe variations in the road-bed and the varying loads in the body of the car.

A further object of the present invention is to provide, in connection with the novel arrangement of movable dynamo or other electric generator operated from the car-wheel axle of a pivoted truck, an adjusting device for maintaining the belt taut when it becomes slack With constant wear; and, finally, a further object of this invention is to operatively secure a dynamo or other electric generator in position directly to the car-body, so as to remove the dynamo away from the roadbed as far as possible and away from contact with dust and dirt and flying stones.

Other objects of this invention not at this time particularly mentioned will be evident from the following description of the novel arrangement and combinations of parts as well as the details of the construction thereof.

The invention consists in the several novel arrangements and combinations of the various parts and in the details of the construction thereof,- all of which will be fully set forth in the accompanying specification, and finally embodied in the clauses of the claim, which form a part of this specification.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is in part a side elevation and longitudinal section of a portion of a railwaycar and longitudinal section of a portion of a pivoted car-truck, saidview also illustrating in side elevation a dynamo and supporting means, an operative connecting means between said parts and the pivoted car-wheel truck, and an adjusting device for adjusting the dynamo to maintain this proper and operative relation of the driving means between the dynamo and one of the car-wheel axles of the truck, all embodying the principles of my present invention. Fig. 2 is the top or plan view of the dynamo-supporting means and its brackets detached from the body of the car. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section, taken on line 3 3 in said Fig. 2, 0f the dynamo-supporting mechanism,said view also illustrating the same attached to the bottom of the body of the car, a portion of which is represented in longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section of the parts represented in said Fig. 3, said section being taken on line 44 in Fig. 3 looking in the direction of arrow at. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the spring-cushioned connection between the car-truck and dynamo for causing a lateral circular motion of the dynamo.

Similar letters of reference are employed in all of the said above-described views to indicate corresponding parts.

In the said above-described drawings, A indicates a portion of any well-known construction of railway-car, and CL indicates the floor or other suitable part of the framework of the body of the car.

A refers to the swing or center-bearing carwheel truck.

a indicates the equ alizing-bars, a the crossbeams at the ends of the truck, and a the usual transverse beams, between which is arranged the truck-bolster a. Upon this bolster are arranged the lower center-bearing plate 17 and upper bearing-plate b of the center-bearing, and b is the usual king-bolt or center-pin, which passes through the center plates and is suitably secured to and connected with the cross-pieces a of the frame of the car-body and prevents the truck from separating from the car-body, but allows of a pivotal or swinging motion of the car-wheel truck when passing over curves.

In Fig. 1 the truck is shown with but one of its car-wheel axles a, on which I have secured a pulley-wheel of, usually made in halfsections, as shown, and provided with flanges a and bolts 01, for securely clam ping said halfsections in position upon said axle a substantially as and for the purposes hereinafter set forth.

As illustrated in the several figures of the drawings, secured in suitable positions, preferably to the under side of the car-body a by means of bolts 0 or in any other manner, are a pair of brackets c and c, the leg portions of which have a connecting cross-bar 0 on which are arranged a pair of guide-rods or tracks 0, being suitably secured in place by the set-screws 0 as illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, said rods or tracks 0 thus connecting the cross-bars c of the brackets c and c for the arrangement thereon of the guide portions d of a pair of hangers d and d, which are slida bly arranged on said guiderods or tracks 0 in the manner and for the purposes hereinafter more fully described. As clearly illustrated in the several figures of the drawings, the guide portions (1 of each hanger are preferably connected by a crossbar d and the downwardly-extending portions of said hangers have a connecting cross piece or bar 01 and a flange d formed at a right angle thereto, or approximately so. Each flange is provided with holes for the reception of bolts or screws d, by means of which a lower piaten e is suitably secured between said flanges d and is suspended in position beneath the body a of the car, as clearly illustrated. Said platen c has a central opening 8' and is provided in its upper surface with one or more curved grooves or ducts 0 which are provided with antifriction-bearings e or other suitable supporting-travelers for the movable support thereon of a second platenf, formed in its under surface with one or more curved grooves or ducts f, corresponding in position to the grooves or ducts in the platen c, with the upper portions of said antifriction or post h.

hearings or travelers operatively extending into the grooves or ducts in said movable platen f, substantially as illustrated in Figs. 3 and l. As stated, the said grooves or ducts e and f are curved, their centers of curvature being located in the central axis of the king-bolt or center-pin of the center-bearing of the car-wheel truck.

Suitably secured in the center of the crossbeam at of the car-wheel truck A or in any other suitable position thereon is a forward lyextending bracket or support h, which has at its free end an upwardly-extending arm The arm or post 77/ has an ear or lug h and is provided with an opening 7L which is preferably oblong and extends longitudinally, substantially as shown in Fig. 1. In said opening h is a pin h which extends into a vertical opening '5' of a suitable projection or lug '5, extending from the side of a dynamo or other electric generator I.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, between a projection 71 on said ear or lug h of the bracket h and a stud It on said lug 2' may be a cushionspring whereby the parts are prevented from being jammed or broken by sudden jarring. The framework 1' of said dynamo is arranged to extend into the opening 6 in the lower platen e and also through a correspondingly-formed openingf in the upper platen.

f, its base 11 being suitably secured to a supporting-plate g, which is arranged directly over said openingf in the movable platenf and is held in position by means of bolts or screws g, substantially as shown. It will thus be evident that by this arrangement of connecting means between the pivoted or swinging car-wheel truck and the dynamo or electric generator and the manner of suspending the latter from the upper movable platen fsaid platenfand the dynamo I will be capable of a lateral motion upon the hearings or travelers in the lower platen 6 corresponding with the pivotal or swinging motion of the car-wheel truck while passing over curves, and I thereby maintain the proper alinement of the pulley-wheel t on the armature-shaft i of the dynamo, whereby the operating-belt i is at all times properly retained on the pulley-wheel 2' and the driving-pulley a' on the car-wheel axle a, as will be clearly understood.

When ball-travelers are employed in the grooves or channels, as herein illustrated, in order that said balls or travelers will not jam and render the device inoperative suitable wheels or rollers e rotatively arranged on pins or spindles 6 may be arranged at or near the ends of the grooves or ducts e with IIC which the end balls 6 are in rolling con- Aside from the lateral circular motion of the dynamo I and of the movable platen f,

to which it is attached, a slight longitudinal movement of the parts is permitted by the arrangement of the longitudinal opening 77, in the ear or lug h to compensate for any jarring, and also the arrangement of the vertical opening 2" in the projection or lugz'allows of any up-and-down movements of these parts due to any inequalities in the road-bed and the varying weights in the body of the car.

Sometimes the belt t, which is arranged over the dynamo-pulley t and the drivingpulley (t on the car-wheel axle, may become slack. To return the belt to its proper condition and render it perfectly taut, I have provided the bracket 0 with a downwardly-extending post 0, having a screw-eye c for the rotation therein of an adjusting-screw Z, having an operating-piece or hand-wheel Z, as clearly illustrated. The opposite end of said screw-rod Z is loosely but operatively held in an eye (i of a suitably-constructed bracket al at the lower portion of the hanger d and is held in its operative position by a pair of collars or nuts Z and Z which are arranged upon said rod and are secured in place by pins Z, as clearly represented in the several figures of the drawings. In this manner by turning the rod 1- in the required direction the dynamo I and the supporting-platen e and f, connected with the hangers d and d, can be moved in a backward or forward direction on the tracks or guides c of the brackets c and c, and the belt 71 can at all times be maintained taut, as will be clearly understood.

The operation of the several mechanisms herein set forth and of the several parts thereof is practical and operative in its construction. noiselessly-operating mechanism is provided for operating a dynamo or other electric generator from the rotating car-wheel axle of a pivoted car-truck; and, furthermore, the dynamo being placed directly beneath the floor of the car-body or perhaps within the car itself, it is removed from contact with the dirt, dust, and flying stones always found underneath the trucks of the 'rapidlymoving cars, and the utility and efficiency of the dynamo by this arrangement is therefore greatly prolonged.

It will be understood that I may use in connection with the dynamo and its circuits any of the well-known forms and constructions of pole-changers, acting automatically or otherwise, whereby the current generated by the dynamo can be made to travel in'either direction, according to the direction of the travel of the car.

I am fully aware that many changes may be made in the several arrangements and combinations of the mechanism and in the details of the constructions of the parts thereof without departing from the scope of my present invention. Hence I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangement of the mech- The arrangement is very simple and a anism nor to the various arrangements and combinations of the parts thereof as described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, nor do I confine myself to the details of the construction of any of the said parts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. In a means for generating electricity from a car-wheel axle, the combination, with a pivoted. or swing truck of a railway-car, of a fixed platen suspended on brackets from the body of the car, a second platen movably arranged upon said fixed platen, a pair of arc-shaped channels in each platen, concentric with the pivotal center of the truck, and ball-bearings or travelers in said channels, a dynamo or electric generator on said movable platen, and an operative driving mechanism between said dynamo and one of the carwheel axles, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a means for generating electricity from a car-wheel axle, the combination, with a pivoted or swing truck of a railway-car, of a fixed platen suspended on brackets from the body of the car, a second platen movably arranged upon said fixed platen, a pair of arc-shaped channels in each platen, concentric with the pivotal center of the truck, and ball-bearings or travelers in said channels, a dynamo or electric generator on said movable platen, and an operative driving mechanism between said dynamo and one of the carwheel axles, consisting, of a pulley-wheel on the armature shaft of the dynamo, a pulleywheel on said car-wheel axle, and a belt passing over said pulleys, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In a means for generating electricity from a car-wheel axle, the combination, with a pivoted or swing truck of a railway-car, of a fixed platen suspended on brackets from the body of the car, a second platen movably arranged upon said fixed platen, a pair of arc-shaped channels in each platen, concentric with the pivotal center of the truck, and ball-bearings or travelers in said channels, a dynamo or electric generator on said movable platen, a means of connection between said dynamo and the car-wheel truck for causing a lateral circular motion of said movable platen and dynamo controlled by the corresponding motion of the truck, and an operati ve driving mechanism between said dynamo and one of the car-wheel axles, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a means for generating electricity from a car-wheel axle, the combination, with a pivoted or swing truck of a railway-car, of a fixed platen suspended on brackets from the body of the car, a second platen movably arranged upon said fixed platen, a pair of arcshaped channels in each platen, concentric with the pivotal center of the truck, and ballbearings or travelers in said channels, a dynamo or electric generator on said movable platen, a means of connection between said dynamo and the car-wheel truck for causing a lateral circular motion of said movable platen and dynamo controlled by the corresponding motion of the truck, and an operative driving mechanism between said dynamo and one of the car-wheel axles, consisting, of a pulley-wheel on the armature-shaft of the dynamo, a pulley-wheel on said car-wheel axle, and a belt passing over said pulleys, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a means for generating electricity from acar-wheel axle, the combination, with a pivoted or swing truck of a railway-car, of a fixed platen suspended on brackets from the body of the car, a second platen movably arranged upon said fixed platen, a pair of areshaped channels in each platen, concentric with the pivotal center of the truck, and ballbearings or travelers in said channels, a dynamo or electric generator on said movable platen, a means of connection between said dynamo and the car-wheel truck for causing a lateral circular motion of said movable platen and dynamo controlled bythe corresponding motion of the truck, and an operative driving mechanism between said dynamo and one of the car-wheel axles, and means of longitudinal adjustment of the dyname and the said platen from which said dynamo is supported, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a means for generating electricity from a car-wheel axle, the combination, with a pivoted or swing truck of a railway-car, of a fixed platen suspended on'brackets from the body of the car, a pair of arc-shaped channels in said platen, concentric with the pivotal center of the truck, antifriction bearings or travelers in said channels, a second platen having correspondinglyarranged channels fitted over said hearings or travelers, whereby said second platen is movably arranged on said bearings or travelers, means in the channels of said fixed platen for the retention of said hearings or travelers in said channels, a dynamo or electric generator on said movable platen, and an operative driving mechanism between said dynamo and one of the car-Wheel axles, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In a means for generating electricity from a car-wheel axle, the combination, with a pivoted or swing truck of a railway-car, of a fixed platen suspended on brackets from the body of the car, a pair of arc-shaped channels in each platen, concentric with the pivotal center of the truck, antifriction hearings or travelers in said channels, a second platen having correspondingly -arranged channels fitted over said bearings or travelers, whereby said second platen is movably arranged on said bearings or travelers, means in the channels of said fixed platen for the retention of said bearings or travelers in said channels, a dynamo or electric generator on said movable platen, and an operative driving mechanism between said dynamo and one of the car-wheel axles, consisting, of a pulleywheel on the armature-shaft of the dynamo, a pulley-wheel on said car-wheel axle, and a belt passing over said pulleys, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In a means for generating electricity from a car-wheel axle, the combination, with a pivoted or swing truck of a railway-car, of a fixed platen suspended on brackets from the body of the car, a pair of arc-shaped channels in said platen, concentric with the pivotal center of the truck, antifriction bearings or travelers in said channels, a second platen having correspondingly-arranged channels fitted over said bearings or travelers,whereby said second platen is movably arranged on said hearings or travelers, means in the channels of said fixed platen for the retention of said hearings or travelers in said channels, a dynamo or electric generator on said movable platen, a means of connection between said dynamo and the car-wheel truck for causing 'a lateral circular motion of said movable platen and dynamo controlled by the corresponding motion of the truck, and an operative driving mechanism between said dynamo and one of the car-wheel axles, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. In a means for generating electricity from a car-w heel axle, the combination, with a pivoted or swing truck of a railway-car, of a fixed platen suspended on brackets from the body of the car, a pair of arc-shaped channels in said platen, concentric with the pivot al center of the truck, antifriction bearings or travelers in said channels, a second platen having correspondiugly-arranged channels fitted over said hearings or travelers, whereby said second platen is movably arranged on said bearings or travelers, means in the channels of said fixed platen for the retention of said hearings or travelers in said channels, a dynamo or electric generator on said movable platen, a means of connection between said dynamo and the car-wheel truck for causing a lateral circular motion of said movable platen and dynamo controlled by the corresponding motion of the truck, and an operative driving mechanism between said dynamo and one of the car-wheel axles, consisting, of a pulley-Wheel on the armatureshaft of the dynamo, a pulley-wheel on said car-wheel axle, and a belt passing over said pulleys, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

10. In a means for generating electricity from a ear -wheel axle, the combination, with a pivoted or swing truck of a railway-car, of a fixed platen suspended on brackets from the body of the car, a pair of arc-shaped channels in said platen, concentric with the pivotal center of the truck, antifriction hearings or travelers in said channels, a second platen having correspondingly arranged channels fitted over said hearings or travelers, whereby said second platen is movably arranged on said bearin gs or travelers, means in the channels of said fixed platen for the retention of said bearings or travelers in said channels, a dynamo or electric generator on said movable platen, a means of connection between said dynamo and the car-wheel truck for causing a lateral circular motion of said movable platen and dynamo controlled by the corresponding motion of the truck, and an operative driving mechanism between said dynamo and one of the car-wheel axles, and a means of longitudinal adjustment of the dynamo and the said platen from which said dynamo is supported, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

11. In a means for generating electricity from a car-wheel axle, the combination, with a truck of a railway-car, and the body of the car, of brackets connected with the body of said car, guide rods or tracks connecting said brackets, hangers suspended from said guide rods or tracks, a lower platen fixed to said hangers, an upper platen movably arranged on bearings or travelers on said lower platen, and a dynamo connected with said upper movable platen, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

12'. In a means for generating electricity from a car-wheel axle, the combination, with a truck of a railway-car, and the body of the car, of brackets connected with the body of said car, guide rods or tracks connecting said brackets, hangers suspended from said guide rods or tracks, a lower platen fixed to said hangers, an upper platen movably arranged on hearings or travelers on said lower platen, and a dynamo connected with said upper movable platen, and an operative driving means between said dynamo and said car-Wheel axle, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

13. In a means for generating electricity from a car-wheel axle, the combination, with a truck of a railway-car, and the body of the car, of brackets connected with the body of said car, guide rods or tracks connecting said brackets, hangers suspended from said guide rods or tracks, a lower platen fixed to said hangers, an upper platen movably arranged on hearings or travelers on said lower platen, and a dynamo connected with said upper mov=' able platen, and an operative driving means between said dynamo and said car-wheel axle, consisting, of a pulley-wheel on the armatureshaft of the dynamo, a pulley-wheel on said car-wheel axle, and a belt passing over said pulleys, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

14. In a means for generating electricity from a car-wheel axle, the combination, with a truck of a railway-car, and the body of the car, of brackets connected with the body of the car, guide r ods or tracks connecting said brackets, hangers suspended from said guide rods or tracks, a lower platen fixed to said hangers, an upper platen movably arranged on bearings or travelers on said lower platen, and a dynamo connected with said upper movable platen, and an operative driving means between said dynamo and said car-wheel axle, and a means of longitudinal adjustment for sliding said hangers backward or forward on said guide rods or tracks, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

15. In a means for generating electricity from a car-wheel axle, the combination, with a pivoted or swing truck of a railway-car and the body of the car, of a support fora dynamo, said support being secured to the body of the car, a dynamo on said support, and a springcushioned means or connection between said car-wheel truck and said dynamo for causing a lateral circular motion of the dynamo controlled by the corresponding motion of the truck about its center-pin or king-bolt, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of March, 1900.

MORRIS MOSKOWITZ.

Witnesses:

FREDK. O. FRAENTZEL, W. B. FRAENTZEL. 

